NIRA officers stranded with over 10,000 untaken national IDs|GMEPA NEWS

Yosam Gucwaki, a UBC journalist verifying his name at EC offices in Masindi using BVVK

Augustus Bigirwenkya

Masindi.

National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) offices in Masindi district is still stranded with over ten thousand National Identity cards almost a year when distribution exercise began in the district.

This was disclosed by Kwesiga Kalifan, NIRA district IT officer in Masindi while speaking to our reporter on Friday morning at Electoral Commission’s offices who said that he does not know as to why people are not picking their national identification cards.

Kwesiga said that, a total number of 153,258 were registered during mass enrolment registration exercise but they have so far received 146,880 national identification cards and a total of 135,374 have been issued to the owners. He said that, a total of 6,378 cards for people who registered in Masindi district have not yet been printed due to anomalies like faint or poor quality photos of which some people refused to go and be captured afresh.

Kwesiga disclosed that, currently, national identification cards are being issued at Electoral Commission’s offices in Masindi town and encouraged all people who registered to go and pick them. He also disclosed that, registration of new people is ongoing as long as one has a recommendation letter from LC I chairperson which is endorsed by the District Internal Security Office.

Mwesigwa advised citizens who gave lost their national identification cards not to go for new registration but wait until the beginning of national ID replacement excise in Masindi. He also guided whoever lost his or her national identity card to report to police or else they risk missing out some of the services.